July 03, 2005

Business as Usual?

More on the potential, possible battle between social conservatives and business groups over the next Supreme Court nominee:

Business may well be countering liberal messages with positive comments on a White House nominee. Business lobbyists said it was likely that business and social conservatives would find themselves on the same side of a nomination battle but noted they are not always allies. Justices who are heroes to social conservatives, such as Antonin Scalia and Clarence Thomas, also have taken stands opposed by business, as in a 2003 case on punitive damages in which the two dissented from a court majority in favor of limiting awards.

"The point is that 'conservative' doesn't necessarily mean 'pro-business,' " Anderson said. Despite some decisions that rile business, Norquist is urging executives and owners to recognize that socially conservative judges are likely to be pro-business overall.

Norquist is probably right about this: how hard can it be to find a business-friendly judge who also wants to overturn Roe v. Wade? Dime a dozen. Another interesting, and I guess not surprising, tidbit from the piece: the Chamber of Commerce endorsed both Ruth Bader Ginsburg and Stephen Breyer back in the Clinton days.